Grammar
[...]... that spoken at the beginning of the 21st A language that does not change does not have any Language and Change 5 living native speakers, as in the case of Latin or Sanskrit Thus many argue that changes in language are an indicator of the viability and vitality, of that language While American English has no equivalent academy acting as “protector of the language,” it does have manuals of style, language... “blueprints” for creating language the shared rules (patterns) in native speakers minds that allow them to generate unique utterances; native speakers shared mental rules there are different grammars shared by different groups of speakers; because all languages and variations are systematic in their generation of utterances; all grammars are viewed as valid descriptive A grammarian’s definition of grammar is... native speakers do not change These are referred to as “dead” languages Examples of this are Latin and Sanskrit The English that is taught to non -native speakers is recognized as Standard English because the grammar, for the most part, reflects formally educated native speakers shared rules Practice Activities Activity 1: New Words Many new words have entered the English language in the last decade Can... to learn and use their native language Children, for instance, do not memorize rules as they learn to speak; what they actually learn are the rules or patterns governing their language Grammar is what allows language users to create and understand an unlimited number of new and original sentences Furthermore, no language has only one grammar; each language has subsets of grammar, which are generally... belief that: r r r grammar must be explicitly taught; grammar is absolute and fixed, a target or goal that speakers need attain in order to be “good” speakers or writers of the language; grammar is inherently difficult and confusing, its mysteries only apparent to teachers, language mavens, or linguists A DeCapua, Grammar for Teachers, C Springer 2008 1 2 1 What is Grammar? Discovery Activity 1: Making... in-group acceptance and identity This is not to say that there should be no grammar rulebooks, manuals of style, or standards of usage; on the contrary, there is a need for standards, especially in formal language contexts and when we are teaching English to non -native speakers What ESL/EFL teachers must do is develop an awareness, especially as learners become more proficient, that there are variations... formal government institution decreeing or legislating “correctness” for American English exists on a continuum of “correctness.” Not all style and usage books, and not all “language gurus” agree on what is “correct” because language changes Some grammarians are slower to accept change than others 16 1 What is Grammar? (continued) r r Standard American English Only languages that no longer have native. .. educated native speakers use in formal language contexts This is the prescriptive school of grammar There is another school that sees grammar as a blueprint of language As a blueprint of language, grammar guides speakers in how to string together symbols, sounds, and words to make coherent, meaningful sentences This type of grammar knowledge is intuitive and reflects the innate ability of speakers to. .. because language changes and some usage or style books, or language gurus are more reluctant to accept change than others debate what must be used when and why based on what a particular usage or style book, or person determines is correct r r r r r r r r r r r r Standard American English is that which most style and usage books and speakers recognize as “correct.” There is no language academy or formal... illogical, that must be taught, but rather a set of blueprints that guide speakers in producing comprehensible and predictable language Every language, including its dialects or variants, is systematic and orderly Languages and their variations are rule-governed structures, and are therefore “grammatical.” In other words, all languages consist of patterns, or “grammars,” that make sense of the features .